Patents by Inventor Eric A. Pulsipher

Eric A. Pulsipher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7307962
    Abstract: A device discovery module of a network management software is utilized to discover the presence of layer-2 network devices. When enabled by a command from the network management software, the device discovery module may be configured to query or poll all network devices for information. The device discovery module may be configured to seek address information from an address resolution protocol (“ARP”) cache of a queried network device. The ARP cache may contain addresses, e.g., layer-2 address, of other network devices contacted by the queried network device. The device discovery module may be further configured to retrieve from the queried network device the port type and port configuration. After retrieving the address information, the device discovery module organizes the address information in an ordered list starting with the identified port of a network device and address information detected on the identified port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Eric A Pulsipher
  • Patent number: 7075896
    Abstract: A method for the automatic layout of switched networks of switched network topologies. In representative embodiments, a topological map of a network is automatically obtained by combining various segments into one of three segment types, a bus segment, a serial segment, and a star segment. In the creation of the topological map of the network, the methods can be used to update the network map as changes occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Gautam Mehrotra, Mark A Schilling
  • Patent number: 7039696
    Abstract: A software method is disclosed for processing data pertaining to connections in a communications network, such as a computer network. The data may be used to map the topology of the network to aid network management. The system creates data structures referred to as tuples to store the relationships between network nodes. A connection calculator receives tuple information from a tuple manager and creates additional tuples based on this data. The connection calculator identifies singly-heard host links, from which it then builds tuples to represent the network infrastructure. To build the infrastructure, the method creates tuples for the singly-heard host links, and then creates tuples for conn-to-conn links based on existing tuples and on hints derived from singly-heard host links tuples, which hints are maintained as extra host links tuples. The method then attempts to disprove invalid conn-to-conn links tuples and attempts to resolve conflicts between inconsistent tuples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Joseph R. Hunt
  • Patent number: 7027411
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for mapping the topology of a network having interconnected nodes by identifying changes in the network and updating a stored network topology based on the changes. The nodal connections are represented by data tuples that store information such as a host identifier, a connector interface, and a port specification for each connection. A topology database stores an existing topology of a network. A topology converter accesses the topology database and converts the existing topology into a list of current tuples. A connection calculator calculates tuples to represent connections in the new topology. The topology converter receives the new tuples, identifies changes to the topology, and updates the topology database using the new tuples. The topology converter identifies duplicate tuples that appear in both the new tuples and the existing tuples and marks the duplicate tuples to reflect that no change has occurred to these connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric A Pulsipher, Joseph R Hunt
  • Patent number: 6961768
    Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wallace Clayton Davis, Darren D. Smith, Eric A. Pulsipher
  • Publication number: 20040215781
    Abstract: Techniques are described for determining device connectivity in a network using protocol-specific connectivity information. According to an exemplary embodiment, an address forwarding database (FDB) is collected from the network. Protocol-specific connectivity information and interface information are collected from a device in the network. The protocol-specific connectivity information and interface information are translated into an interface connectivity database. Device connectivity in the network is determined based on the interface connectivity database in cooperation with the FDB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Max Carl Knees
  • Publication number: 20040172386
    Abstract: An exemplary method for managing a network includes selecting an agent based on information identifying a device in the network, contacting the device via the selected agent to extract data from the device, determining whether the agent successfully extracted the data from the device, and selecting a different agent based on the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Gabriel Wechter, Weiwen Chen
  • Publication number: 20040172467
    Abstract: An exemplary method for monitoring a network includes detecting changes in the network, and initiating discovery of the topology of the network when a number of the detected changes in the network exceeds a threshold. Another exemplary method includes initiating discovery of the topology of the network when a predetermined time period expires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric A. Pulsipher, Tyler G. Peterson, Srikanth Natarajan
  • Publication number: 20020124079
    Abstract: A device discovery module of a network management software is utilized to discover the presence of layer-2 network devices. When enabled by a command from the network management software, the device discovery module may be configured to query or poll all network devices for information. The device discovery module may be configured to seek address information from an address resolution protocol (“ARP”) cache of a queried network device. The ARP cache may contain addresses, e.g., layer-2 address, of other network devices contacted by the queried network device. The device discovery module may be further configured to retrieve from the queried network device the port type and port configuration. After retrieving the address information, the device discovery module organizes the address information in an ordered list starting with the identified port of a network device and address information detected on the identified port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventor: Eric A. Pulsipher
  • Publication number: 20020124070
    Abstract: A system for providing related information of a network error event to a user in a hand-held device format. In one aspect, the present invention may include a desktop computer system executing a network management software (“NMS”), a hand-held formatter module and a hand-held device interface. The NMS provides a network manager (or administrator/user) the capability to manager, monitor, and/or diagnose a network. In response to a network error event, e.g., a faulty network card, disabled repeater, and the like, the NMS may be configured to generate a repair message, e.g., a trouble ticket, to notify the user of the network error event. The NMS may be further configured to gather related information such network wiring diagrams related to the location of the network error event and/or user, other events that have occurred in a temporally close time, repair checklists, and the like, in response to the repair message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventor: Eric A. Pulsipher
  • Publication number: 20020059417
    Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Wallace Clayton Davis, Darren D. Smith, Eric A. Pulsipher
  • Patent number: 6295558
    Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Wallace Clayton Davis, Darren D. Smith, Eric A. Pulsipher
  • Patent number: 6061723
    Abstract: A network monitor for distinguishing between broken and inaccessible network elements. The network monitor includes one or more computer readable storage mediums, and computer readable program code stored in the one or more computer readable storage mediums. The computer readable program code includes code for discovering the topology of a plurality of network elements, code for periodically polling a plurality of network interfaces associated with the plurality of network elements, code for computing or validating a criticalRoute attribute for each of the plurality of network interfaces, and code for analyzing a status of network interfaces identified by the criticalRoute attribute of an interface in question (IIQ) which is not responding to a poll or ping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Anthony Walker, Eric A. Pulsipher, Darren D. Smith
  • Patent number: 5948055
    Abstract: An internet monitoring system efficiently discovers topology data of a network by utilizing a distributed object model. The topology data represents the devices and interconnections of the network and can be used to display various conceptual views of the network at a management station. In accordance with the internet monitoring system, different sets of topology data are discovered with corresponding sets of computer-based stations, such as management stations or collection stations, by discovering the topology at respective regions of the network. Further, the different sets of topology data can be combined at a management station to derive a global view of the network. Both management and remote stations include a layout mechanism for receiving topology data and driving the output device based upon the topology data and a discovery mechanism for discovering and storing the topology data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Darren D. Smith, Dominic L. Ruffatto
  • Patent number: 5787252
    Abstract: Discovery/layout software configures a general purpose computer system to act as a management station using an industry standard SNMP protocol. The discovery/layout software has a discovery mechanism and a layout mechanism which, in combination, permit the discovery/layout software to provide various submaps to a display for illustrating network topology, which includes devices and device interconnections of a network. The submaps correspond to various hierarchical views of a network. Significantly, one or more filtering systems are provided in the discovery/layout software for filtering objects to be displayed within the submaps. The filtering systems reduce clutter in the submaps, reduce memory usage and associated expense, and reduce interprocess communication (context switching) to achieve higher performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Robert Dwight Schettler, Eric A. Pulsipher, Brian J. Atkins